Summary:
Zip code 29560 in Lake City, SC, is home to two public high schools serving grades 9-12 (and 7-12 for one), both part of the Florence 03 school district, which currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 17th percentile statewide.
For parents, the standout choice in this area is clearly J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet. This school outperforms Lake City High on nearly every key metric. Truluck boasts a 93.4% graduation rate compared to Lake City High's 80.1%, and its dropout rate is just 0.4% versus 1.6%. Chronic absenteeism is also far lower at Truluck (17.9%) than at Lake City High (30.0%), and Truluck even beats the state average of 22.3%. Academically, Truluck leads in Algebra 1 proficiency (83.64% vs. 69.57%) and U.S. History (42.11% vs. 26.98%), and it ranks higher statewide (33rd percentile vs. 22nd). Perhaps most striking is the spending paradox: Truluck achieves these better results while spending $3,119 less per student ($15,425 vs. $18,544).
However, both schools share significant challenges. English 1 proficiency is a major weakness for both—47.06% at Lake City High and 45.0% at Truluck—far below the state average of 61.66%. Both also score below state averages in U.S. History, indicating systemic issues within the district. While Truluck's middle school feeder program shows some promise (7th-grade math proficiency of 26.6% vs. the district's 18.6%), the overall picture is one of a district struggling to meet state standards. For parents, Truluck is the clear academic and engagement winner, but even its strongest scores lag behind state averages in several core subjects, suggesting that families should consider supplemental support regardless of which school their child attends.
Thank you for your feedback!